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The culture and how it affects ministry to kids

Resonance, in physics, explains the sense we have when we meet our people. Resonance occurs when an object’s natural vibration frequency responds to an external stimulus of the same frequency. If we know an object’s natural rate of vibration, we can make it vibrate without touching it. We are feeling something or experiencing something in …

We are designed and instructed to live in community with others. God’s Word encourages and urges us to be compassionate and kind. We must forgive and love. We can’t do that unless we live in community and interact with others. All of our responsibilities and duties involve other people. We must live in community to …

Ask yourself: Who is in your world? Who is in your circle? Who has God brought into your life? We can read and study for ourselves, but self study involves more than only ourselves in mind. God wants us to be a part of changing the lives of those around us. How are we reading …

There is a Facebook feed going around posted by my favorite author Len Sweet about how we grow and develop through life. Life begins as a tiny dot, a period, and grows into a comma, a small curve opening up and spreading out from the dot. As we continue to develop and grow, we become more …

In my career these days I am given some pretty big tasks. I am a leader and must balance many people on the staff at work and juggle schedules to meet many needs and time schedules. Some days it is tough. And certain parts of the day are even tougher. We have time demands and …

How far away are the sheep in your circle? Can you reach the sheep? Do you reach the sheep?

In Jesus’ parable about the lost sheep in Luke 15, He instructed us to leave the other 99 and go find that lost sheep. Where do we look for it? How far do we go to find it? If we keep the sheep close and maintain consistent contact and communication with the sheep, they are less likely to wander away and it is easier to connect.

Have we connected with the sheep? Do we know where our sheep are? A once a month connection may not be enough for some sheep. They may need once a week connection or even once a day connection.

What kind of connection do sheep need? Do we connect via phone call, text message, social media message, or face to face contact? It depends on the relationship and personality. Some sheep need more connection than others. Some sheep need face to face contact while others prefer a quick text.

Know your sheep. Get involved in their lives and become familiar with what drives them.

How many times have we said we will do or start something when we are ready? We say it all the time. During the Christmas holidays, we often say we will get together with someone else after the holidays, when things slow down. We often say we will start something when we finish something else. We say we will start something when we have enough money.

In reality, when is it really the right time? Will we really ever have enough money? We will really ever have enough time? Do things really ever slow down?

There are always activities and events to fill our calendars. There is always something to on which to spend our money. There is always something for which we want to save money and purchase or do.

We say: Get ready. Get set. Go. We really need to be saying: Go. Set. Ready.

We may never really feel ready before we have to go for it. We must just go for it and have faith that God will provide and pave the path for us to be ready. True faith is tough but God knows the path. All we have to do is follow Him, and He will make us ready.

We don’t have to see the entire path or the entire staircase. All we need to do is take that first step following God and He will lead the way for us to be ready.

Join me as I participate in the 2016 readings for Lent, beginning February 10, 2016. Click this Lent readings to see the readings each day.

I got a head start on the February 10 reading and found it a fascinating study on Luke 1 about the announcement of Elizabeth’s pregnancy and Mary’s pregnancy. Mary, then, spent some time with Elizabeth as they reflected on both of them being chosen to birth two very special sons.

Click the link above, sign up for the readings, and join me as we prepare for Jesus’ resurrection.

Do you ever have those days when you feel you have to guess what to do? Are you guessing about decisions? We are never alone in the decision-making process. We have someone who knows what to do and is just waiting for our questions.

Think of holding a small rock in one hand and asking another person to choose in which hand the rock is held. After he picks the hand, open both hands and show if he is correct. Then you can put your hands behind your back and place the rock in either the same hand or another hand and play the game one more time, choosing another person to pick the hand in which he thinks the rock is held.

That game can go on and on, switching hands or retaining the rock in the same hand each round. Guessing games are fun but we never have to play guessing games with God. God can speak to us about decisions and directions through the Bible, prayer, other adults, believers, and teachers. He never makes guesses and makes us guess ‘which hand’ when we are wondering which direction or the best decision.

We learn in James 1:5 (The Message): If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who “worry their prayers” are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.

Hold the rock in your hand and ask God which hand it is in. He knows and He will instruct you regarding the best choice for that rock or task in your ministry area.

Where do we go when things get too tough and get to be too much for us? How do we relax and keep our focus on Jesus?

Think about how Jesus got away and knew how to keep his focus on His Heavenly Father. We must follow the example of Jesus and get away to focus on our Heavenly Father as well. When we maintain our focus, we are better able to minister and meet the needs of the children and families within our ministry areas.

We all know that a key is used to unlock a lock and a pencil sharpener is used to sharpen a pencil. We wouldn’t use a key to sharpen a pencil or a pencil sharpener to unlock a lock. Each item has a specific purpose. We each have a specific purpose and a job to do. God created each one of us for a specific job and He equips each one of us with the proper tools and skills to perform the duties of that job.

Sometimes we need help to do our jobs. Just like Jesus needed help for His jobs, too. Where did He go for help? Where can we go for help?

Luke 5:16 explained that Jesus decided to go away to a quiet place and talk to His Father. Jesus knew where to go to ask for help. He knew He needed time away to listen and pray.

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer. We all must learn where we can go for quiet time and learning.

What do you do for release, to relieve stress? Life happens, the grass is not always green, and things do not always go our way. We must all find ways to deal and cope with stressful situations or we will explode and snap at others. For me, my release is running. Thank you to my friends and colleagues who started me on the running adventure. Your encouragement pushes me to press on and go for it. Many evenings after work I run with friends, and many Saturdays you can find me at a 5K (sometimes a 10K) race event. I am loving it and loving the running community. I feel happier and healthier than I have ever felt in my life. When stressful events happen at work and in the classroom, I find it much easier to deal with situations. My friends and colleagues are more important to me than an argument or a fight. I let it go and go with the flow while following policies and procedures required to operate a Christian preschool learning center and positive work environment.

Children are no different from adults in stressful situations and often react because of adult reactions as well. When adults learn to appropriately handle stressful times, they model appropriate reactions to children. In preschool, we teach children to think before they speak, to speak up for themselves when something or someone bothers them, and to walk away from unkind situations with potential for arguments and disagreements.

Yoga is an excellent way for learning to handle stressful situations. Yoga teaches us how to breathe and calm our feelings and emotions. When we learn proper breathing techniques, our bodies are calmer and we are less likely to snap at one another, which makes for smoother reactions with friends. Brain research shows us that movement and breath help to alleviate stress and anxiety. Our bodies are designed to move. Everyone can be happier and healthier.

Try these yoga movements:

“I am strong.” Pretend to be a surfer.

To do Warrior 2 Pose: From standing position, step one foot back, placing the foot so that it is facing slightly outwards. Take your arms up in parallel to the ground, bend your front knee, and look forward. Pretend to be a surfer and use your strength to catch tricky waves.

“I am kind.” Pretend to be a tree.

To do Tree Pose: Stand on one leg, bend your knee, place the sole of your foot on the opposite inner thigh, and balance. Sway like a tree. Think of trees being kind by offering shade, creating oxygen, and providing homes to animals.

“I am brave.” Pretend to be a skier.

To do Chair Pose: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees, and keep a straight spine. Hold your hands out in front of you, pretending to grasp ski poles as you fly down a ski run like a brave and fearless skier.

“I am friendly.” Pretend to be a dog.

To do Downward-Facing Dog Pose: Bend down and place your palms flat on the ground. Step your feet back to create an upside-down V shape with your buttocks high in the air. Straighten your legs, relax your head and neck, and look down between your legs. Think of being an eager and friendly dog.

“I am wise.” Pretend to be an owl.

To do Hero Pose: Drop your knees to the ground and come down to rest upright on your heels. Then pretend to be a wise owl perched on a tree. Twist your upper body one way and then the other.

Start slowly and focus on your child’s success. If your child doesn’t click with using movement as a calming down strategy, don’t push it. Leave it for a while, and then try again. Just like every strategy, nothing is a one-size-fits-all solution, so feel free to adapt and change the yoga method to suit your child’s interests and needs. Introducing the idea of using movement and breath to help their brains to re-boot and re-focus is what’s important.

Try these yoga movements and begin your exercise routine for your release and meet me at the next 5K race. See how much healthier and happier you feel, too.